Siheyuan: After I moved in, the compound became a mess

Chapter 353 Gathering at Jia's House for the New Year

Xiao Su walked into the corridor, looked back at Wang Dabao and smiled, then walked up the stairs briskly with a shy look on her face.

Wang Dabao waited until Xiao Su could no longer be seen before he tightened his cotton coat and turned to leave.

He didn't wear a cotton coat all the way, and he didn't feel cold just now when he was holding Xiao Su's warm little hand. It was not until Xiao Su left that he felt his body was almost frozen.

After returning to the security building, I drank several cups of hot tea before I warmed up.

Lying on the small bed in the lounge, Wang Dabao's mind was full of Xiao Su's figure.

…………

In the evening, Yi Zhonghai and his wife, the deaf old lady, Sha Zhu and He Yushui's siblings gathered at the Jia family.

The house was filled with the aroma of dumplings and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Yi Zhonghai looked at Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu from time to time, and occasionally glanced through the windows of the main room and the inner room at his apprentice Jia Dongxu who was slumped on the kang, making his own calculations in his mind.

Qin Huairu felt Sha Zhu's gaze, and an inexplicable emotion rose in her heart.

Suppressing all the thoughts in her mind, she now only hoped that this New Year would go smoothly and that her mother-in-law Jia Zhang and her husband Jia Dongxu would not cause any trouble.

After the New Year she will be able to go to the factory to take over the work and get a salary. Although it is an apprentice salary, it can at least maintain the family expenses and not be as stretched as it is now.

There will be some dumpling filling left over from today. If we save it, it will be enough for their family to make another meal of whole dumplings.

"Hey, look at the dumplings I make, they look pretty good. But look at Aunt Yi's, they're not quite up to par." Sha Zhu picked up the dumplings, and his mouth was not idle either. After chatting with one person, he talked to another.

Aunt Yi smiled and said, "Zhu Zi, you are good enough. Even if I cook at home all day, I can't compare with you, a chef from a steel mill."

"Well, that's true. Aunt Yi, I like what you said."

Sha Zhu laughed and showed off the dumplings in front of Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu. "Take a look at them, I tell you, there are many things to pay attention to when making dumplings."

"Wow, there are so many details to make dumplings. Zhuzi, tell us about it."

Yi Zhonghai stirred the dumpling stuffing and added some to his mouth.

"Okay, since it's Chinese New Year, let's talk about it." Sha Zhu raised his eyelids, and his expression seemed to say, "Don't disbelieve me, let's talk about the dumplings stuffed with chives first. Chives and 'long' have the same pronunciation, which means long-lasting and smooth."

"Let's talk about the celery filling. Celery represents diligence and hard work, and it symbolizes getting rich through hard work. Today, we have the cabbage filling. Cabbage and "wealth" have the same pronunciation, which means wealth and good fortune."

He Yushui laughed at the side: "Alright, brother, stop showing off. I know this stuff too. Hurry up, this is the last pot. Let's start eating right away. I'm hungry."

"Yes, yes, listen to the rain, let's make dumplings quickly and eat them quickly."

The deaf old lady sat hunched over on a chair nearby, poking the ground with her cane and saying with a smile on her face.

Bang Geng, who was playing with his two younger sisters nearby, also agreed: "Yes, yes, let's eat quickly, I'm empty-bellied."

"Okay, Sister Qin, please move aside. Let's put the pot on the stove and start eating."

Sha Zhu said cheerfully, "You guys watch over the dumplings while I prepare two cold dishes and some fried eggs with garlic chives."

Qin Huairu said with a smile: "Zhu Zi has been very busy today. He has to take care of everything."

"Well, Sister Qin, what you said is true. We are celebrating the New Year together just for fun."

"That's true."

Sha Zhu started to get busy, he was worthy of being called a chef. After a while, the cold cucumber salad and fried eggs with garlic were served on the table.

Jia Dongxu was also asked to come out from the kang and was carried by Yi Zhonghai to a chair.

Everyone sat together and started eating dumplings. The cheerful atmosphere just now became a little dull because of Jia Dongxu's arrival.

Jia Dongxu had a gloomy face and kept looking at Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu. His meaning was obvious, he just wanted to see if these two people had done anything shameful behind his back.

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai quickly picked up his wine glass and said, "It was me who came up with the idea of ​​the four families celebrating the New Year together this year. I just felt that it would be more lively if there were fewer people. Look, our big table is much more lively."

"Let's toast to the old lady first. I wish her good health and hope she will always be the pillar of our hospital."

Everyone raised their glasses and said auspicious words in response.

Only Jia Dongxu didn't smile at all, and he didn't touch the cup in front of him.

"Dongxu, be happy on New Year's Day. Life will be better in the future." Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath and slowly said to Jia Dongxu beside him.

Jia Dongxu bit his lip and finally picked up the wine glass: "Okay, Master, I'll listen to you."

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

While he was drunk, Sha Zhu started telling stories about interesting things that happened in the factory, which made everyone laugh and the atmosphere gradually became lively again.

Although Jia Dongxu also smiled, his eyes still showed suspicion from time to time, which made Qin Huairu feel uncomfortable as if she had thorns on her body.

After the meal, several people were busy clearing the table. Then Banggeng took Xiaodang to kowtow to the deaf old lady, Yi Zhonghai and his wife, Sha Zhu and others to wish them a happy new year.

Yi Zhonghai had already prepared red envelopes, including one for the deaf old lady.

They are all small bags sewn by Aunt Yi with red cloth.

Yan Bugui’s house in the front yard.

At this time, the family had finished their meal, and Yan Laokou, who rarely did, poured a glass of wine for the brothers Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang, to entertain the two brothers.

But the alcohol content of this wine is a bit low. It seems that Yan Bugui did add some water to it after all.

After dinner, the family sat around the table and chatted.

Every year on New Year’s Eve, Yan Bugui would share the peanuts among several people with a shovel. This year, because he had set up a stall, there were still quite a few melon seeds and peanuts left at home, so he grabbed three handfuls for each of the people.

He kept his own pile to eat.

However, Yan Jiekuang occasionally took out a piece of White Rabbit milk candy from his pocket and put it in his mouth, which made Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiedi very greedy.

"Dad, you wouldn't have secretly given away the White Rabbit candies that you confiscated before, right?" Yan Jiefang asked with a frown.

Before Yan Bugui could say anything, he heard Yan Jiekuang muffledly say, "This was something Uncle Dabao stuffed into my mouth yesterday, and I saved it and didn't eat it."

Yan Jiefang sighed: "Wang Dabao is really good to Jie Kuang. People who don't know would think Jie Kuang is his son."

Upon hearing this, Yan Jiekuang laughed, but Yan Bugui and his wife standing beside him were so angry that they glared at him.

"Don't talk nonsense, Dabao and your brother get along well, that's a good thing."

Yan Bugui walked over with his eyes wide open, "From now on, whether at home or outside, don't call Dabao by his name. Not to mention that Dabao saved your brother, he is now the head of the security department. If he hears you calling him that, he will be unhappy and will punish you to the point of losing your mind."

Yan Jiefang shrank his neck in anger at what his father Yan Bugui said.